


Shifting Closer

by avarand



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anakin is a werewolf, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, High School, Light Angst, M/M, Magic, TeenwolfAU, Werewolves, beyond highschool, obikin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-04 17:56:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 20,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11560398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avarand/pseuds/avarand
Summary: Anakin hates that his mom/Alpha makes their pack live such an isolated existence. It's boring, plus how are he and Ahsoka supposed to meet other wolves? However a new kid comes to town, a body deemed 'mauled by animals' is found, and things get a lot less predictable.Or: The Teenwolf AU you never wanted





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really shouldn't be starting another story since classes start next week and I'll have way less time to write. But this kept bouncing around in my head. So here it is.

Anakin hated high school. Not for the normal reasons. Well, for some of the normal reasons. But also because it was sensory overload to have so many smells and sounds in one place. The thick perfumes and colognes that students hadn’t learned not to bathe in yet, the cigarettes that some of them thought they were stealthy about, and the hormones. Lust, confusion, anger, and insecurity cycled through the school in a way that gave him a headache some days. But part of fitting in with humans meant doing things like attending public school. 

God, that bell could not ring at a more obnoxious frequency. He fought the pointless urge to cover his ears. It was finally lunch and he took his regular seat outside at a picnic table he’d claimed last week when they school year had started. The late August breeze was a welcomed change from the confined classrooms. He sat on the table, battered black Doc Martens on the bench, and took out his lunch while he waited for his friends. He didn’t have a ton but he liked the ones he had. Padmé and he were both Seniors this year and the girl was almost definitely going to be Valedictorian. For a human she was pretty fantastic. He couldn’t tell humans what he was but he’d come close with her. Thankfully he realized he’d been in lust, not love, and they’d decided they were way better off as friends. His adopted sister Ahsoka was a Junior this year and she’d bring her friend Riyo who was nice, even if she smelled a bit like the hair dye she used so frequently to maintain her her lavender color. And he had Rex and Cody, who despite being on the football team were really down to earth. 

The twins approached with Padmé and soon Ahsoka and Riyo were there, and everyone settled in. He and Ahsoka were the only werewolves in the school and they preferred to keep their unofficial human pack small. It was in their nature to be a bit suspicious of humans after all.

Most of the talk revolved around college as everyone except Ahsoka and Riyo was graduating that year. Not one to see the sense in taking on massive amounts of debt, Anakin was going to a community college nearby to become a mechanic. But he listened as Padmé expressed frustration over “the absurd prompts for personal essays” and Rex and Cody fought about Rex’s interest in going into the military before school. Anakin suspected that Ahsoka was harboring a crush on Rex and it was confirmed when he caught a scent of the sadness that came off her at the thought of Rex shipped abroad. Rex was a good guy and Anakin could see the appeal. He had darker skin though lighter than Ahsoka’s and he kept the little amount of hair he kept a shaved head which worked for him. Kind, calm, respectful. But sadly human.

Having a small, family-only pack was frustrating like that. In larger packs they’d have non family to interact and possibly bond with. Bonding with a human was almost impossible. He’d half convinced himself that it was possible with Padmé but that would have been a disaster. Still, without other wolves they were stuck with humans and their overwhelmingly temporary affections. If he had been really in love with Padmé he’d be despairing now as she was warming to a pretty blond in her AP French class. Satine, he thought the girl’s name was. He was swearing off non-wolves. Celibacy was so much less complicated. Maybe he’d visit up north to one of his mother’s distant relatives in Canada where they had huge packs and large swaths of land. It wasn’t too much farther than northern California. 

He came out of his thoughts to find Padmé jabbing his knee with an eraser. “Where’d you go?” She teased him. 

“Somewhere far away from the AP Calculus class I just got out of,” he smiled back. It actually hadn’t been too bad. Professor Windu was a hardass but he knew his stuff. 

“You know, you really could get a scholarship if you applied. You’ve taken so many AP STEM classes. And you ace them.”

Had they still been dating like last year this would have turned into a fight. But from a friend he could distance himself and not feel it as a personal critique. “I know I could. But I don’t want to. There’s nothing wrong with a blue collar job. Plus this way you can be my guinea pig and when I visit you next year you can prove how great it is.” 

She rolled her eyes but did smile at him. “Besides, I need you around next year to get me through AP Calc,” Ahsoka added, flipping her braided hair behind her shoulders. She’d worked in some synthetic blues and whites over the summer and it worked well against her dark skin. Part of him was curious about going somewhere different, but then the idea of living with a stranger among a sea of strangers in a dorm without his small pack to run with made anxiety seize his chest. 

Lunch went by too quickly and as they walked back into the school, Anakin threw an arm around Ahsoka’s shoulders. It was a familial gesture of scenting before they headed back into the confines of the building. 

He wasn’t particularly looking forward to his next class. It was AP English, which he hadn’t wanted to take this semester. But he’d been roped into it by his mom, Padmé, and a well-meaning guidance counselor. It seemed like a lot of time he could spend on real classes, but whatever. 

They were starting the semester with Frankenstein which was actually more interesting than he’d thought it would be. He took his seat in the back corner and waited for Professor Ti to come in. He was absently doodling in his notebook and trying to tune out from the sounds in the classroom when he caught a smell that was different from those he was used to. It smelled...quiet. Like sandalwood and citrus and something earthy. It was so much better than the smells clogged by perfume and the god awful body spray guys had started bathing in. 

He looked up and saw that Professor Ti was calling the class to order and she was apparently introducing a new student. Who was most definitely the source of the scent he found himself focusing on. “Class, please welcome Obi-Wan Kenobi.” The boy in question was standing a bit awkwardly. He was wearing a dark grey button up that hugged his slim frame in a way that was...well, huh. That was nice. The black pants and Vans were more alternative than preppy and the auburn hair falling into the grey eyes wasn’t hard to look at either. Anakin realized he was staring and had missed whatever else Professor Ti had said about him. She directed him to a seat near Anakin. 

Oh, not near, next to, as everywhere else was taken. The boy sat down next to him without looking at him. His hair was shot through with ochre and cedar reds, dark and light and...soft looking. Anakin shook his head. Christ, he couldn’t be staring at everyone who smelled kind of nice. Wolves mated for life, he reminded himself. Humans mated for as long as it took them to get dressed and look at someone else. Even before Padmé, he and Ahsoka had both been hurt by human crushes who quickly rebounded while they didn’t. 

Right, Victor Frankenstein. Idealistic scientist who created something the world called a monster. Focus. 

“-Mr. Skywalker?” 

“Hm?” 

Professor Ti gave him a look. “I asked you what early signs of monstrosity do we see in the young Dr. Frankenstein?” 

Anakin swallowed nervously. “There aren’t any, not really. He wants to do a good thing by outsmarting death. But he’s willing to consider doing something horrific because he’s so focused on the big picture in his head that he overlooks what other people would consider monstrous like digging up bodies. He’s just careless and that’s scary because anyone can be careless.”

“A very thoughtful take, Mr. Skywalker. And a good one.” 

Anakin gave a small smile and continued through class, noticing that the new kid was looking at him now. 

When class was over Anakin shoved his belongings into his bag and made a point of not looking at anyone, intending to head off into the crowd for his last class of the day. 

“Hi,” he heard from his right. Oh, it was the new kid addressing him. He turned, not used to talking to kids he didn’t know. 

“Uh, hi.” 

“You seem to be doing well in this class and I wondered if you wouldn’t mind meeting up sometime? To study a bit, I mean. I’m not too behind but I wanna make sure I get caught up.” 

And huh. The kid had British accent. That was...nice. “Oh. Yeah, I mean sure. You haven’t missed much but I can copy my notes from last week if you want. What do you have next?” 

The kid looked at a battered schedule he pulled from his pocket. “Pre-colonial US History.” 

“Ugh. Me too.”

“Not a fan?” 

“Of Mrs. Nu’s hour long lectures on the ingenuity behind the clovis point? Not so much.”

“Obi-Wan,” And the other boy was offering his hand. 

“Anakin,” He smiled a bit, leading the way to Pre-Col History. It wasn’t a long walk as it was still in the humanities wing. “Are you a Senior?” A nod. Ouch. Transferring Senior year had to suck. “Sorry, sounds rough.” 

“We move around a lot,” Obi-Wan shrugged. 

They took seats in the back again. “If you want to stay for a bit after school I can introduce you to my friend Padmé. She taken pretty much every AP class this school can offer and has aced all of them. I gotta wait for my sister to get out of volleyball practice anyway.” 

“Yeah, that would be good. Thanks.” 

Anakin smiled back. They sat in for an uncomfortably long period of trying to stay awake to take notes on the hunting practices of North American ancestors in the southwestern US. 

As the shrill bell rang again he fought a yawn. Exiting the room Obi-Wan said that while he liked history, that had been difficult even for him. Professor Nu spoke in monotone and had and never moved from her desk. It was both unsettling and unbearably dull. Making their way down the stairs to the front entrance landing and then down onto the courtyard, Anakin was about to point out Padmé when someone nudged him from the side. It was supposed to be hard enough for him to lose balance but well, that wouldn’t be happening. Instead the guy bounced off his side. 

Christ, Ferus. Of course it was. “Olin,” he said dryly to the shorter guy in a letterman jacket. 

“Skywalker,” the hazel-eyed creep responded condescendingly. “Who’s your new friend?”

“Obi-Wan, Ferus Olin, Ferus, Obi-Wan.” He said with an eyeroll. 

“Kind of scrawnier than your usual taste in men isn’t he?” Ferus leered, not even looking at Obi-Wan. 

“Olin, you have three seconds to get the fuck away from me before I damage your face.” 

“Jeez, you didn’t used to be so uptight.”

“We’re not friends. We’ve never been friends. I don’t know what you want from me but it’s not happening.” He turned and was glad when he could hear Ferus huffing off. 

“Sorry about him,” Anakin said. “I really don’t know what his problem is. He got detention Freshman year for calling me a slur in the middle of lunch. And well, I shouldn’t have tackled him, but still.” (He’d also broken three of his ribs and and his collarbone, but Obi-Wan didn’t need to know that. Or that Ferus had only called him that after they’d made out the day before. Or that had he been post-growth spurt he could have killed him.) “I don’t hold with bigots though, just as a head’s up.” 

“Good to know since neither do I. It would be a bit hypocritical.” Anakin refused to think about that. Thankfully they were approaching Padmé. 

Padmé and Obi-Wan got on well and had AP Chemistry in the mornings together which Anakin had taken last year. He still had his notes though and said he’d make them both copies. He sat back and worked on Calculus while the two of them did Chemistry until Padmé had to go to her tutoring job. 

“But,” she said, putting her notes away in carefully organized files. “Tomorrow is the first Rainbow Alliance meeting of the year and if you want you’re both welcome.”

“Padmé, I love you, but I hate clubs. And how does a club like that even work? Is like AA where I have to stand up and say ‘Hi I’m Anakin and I’m bisexual?’”

“Of course it doesn’t!” She swatted his shoulder. “No one has to out themselves. Straight allies are welcome too. Ahsoka said she’d try and Satine is coming too-”

“And there we have it,” Anakin grinned, enjoying the way Padmé blushed. “There’s a certain French-speaking blonde in attendance.” 

“Please think about it at least?” 

“Alright, alright.” He hugged her tightly and spun her around a couple times. She left, leaving him with about fifteen minutes before Ahsoka was done. 

“How are you getting home?” He asked Obi-Wan. 

“It’s not too much of a walk from here.” 

“Ahsoka should be here soon. I can give you a ride if you want.”

“I wouldn’t want to put you out.” 

“Sounds like it’s not close enough to put me out. Seriously, it’s no problem.” 

“Alright, thanks.” Was Obi-Wan blushing a bit? No. No more dating humans. They didn’t understand scent and it was too complicated. 

They studied in silence at the outdoor table until he heard Ahsoka approach. Which meant from the moment when her footfall pattern hit the outer steps on the side entrance where athletes let out from, hundreds of yards from where they were. He made himself look at his book until she was close enough. He stood and she pounced on him, landing on his back with no trouble. He grinned and held onto the arms around his neck. 

“Snips, this Obi-Wan, Obi-wan this my sister Ahsoka.” He felt her pleasant surprise at him having made a friend. 

“Nice to meet you,” Obi-Wan grinned back, putting his own books away. 

“We’re giving Obi-Wan a ride home.” He said. 

“Ooh, you’re letting someone near your baby?” Ahsoka teased him. 

“That car is a piece of art,” Anakin said haughtily. 

“It’s a piece of shit,” Ahsoka said, landing on her own feet. 

“Blasphemy!” 

It was a two-door ‘99 Pontiac GT. And she wasn’t perfect. But she was his and he’d put a lot of work on her in. Even if the paint was scratched up a bit. 

Obi-Wan seemed content to follow them in silence. He and Ahsoka’s dynamic could be a bit much for people who weren’t used to them. They were constantly making sarcastic quips and shoving each other. 

“Obi-Wan, what brings you our little town?” Ahsoka turned to ask him as they walked through the student parking lot. 

“My dad wanted to start over. Well, he’s my step-dad, but still. He’s opening a veterinary practice downtown.”

Knowing firsthand how awkward it could be to have question asked about parents, neither one of them pressed the issue. 

“Here we are,” Anakin said, swinging his arm out as though displaying something much more impressive than a black Pontiac. 

“It’s a lovely car,” Obi-Wan said, nodding sagely. Anakin decided it was a word he liked hearing from Obi-Wan’s lips. 

“Thank you.” 

“Guest gets shotgun,” Ahsoka said, her petite frame sliding easily into the back. 

Obi-Wan directed him and it really wasn’t far. Less than a ten minute drive from school. 

“Thank you again,” he said unbuckling and waving goodbye. Ahsoka got out to take his seat. 

“No problem. See you tomorrow with those notes.” 

When he was gone and had pulled back out of the driveway he found the smugness rolling off Ahsoka to be unbearable. 

“What?” He said defensively. 

“You aren’t nice. You don’t volunteer to give people notes.” She grinned widely. 

“He asked me first. Otherwise we wouldn’t have spoken.” 

“Uh-huh. And he doesn’t...I don’t know...smell nice or something?” 

“He-this is not some terrible Stephanie Meyer book. I’m am not going to start stalking someone because they smell better than most of the people we have classes with. That’s not a high bar, anyway.” 

“So you’re still swearing off humans as romantic partners?” The question was more honest and lacked a teasing tone. 

“I’ve yet to see anything good come from it.” He sighed. She was quiet after that and he hated himself a little for reminding her of all that bad shit they both had in their past. 

“I didn’t mean-I know Rex is nice-”

“You’re right though. Nothing good ever has come from it. We weren’t meant to trust each other like that.” 

“Hey, we have each other. You know what? We should take a road trip. Just us if mom and Uncle Plo won’t come. I was thinking about it earlier. We could take a few weeks this summer and visit with a couple of the Packs mom is friendly with up north.”

“Really?” She seemed hesitant but willing to consider it. It would be nice to run with more than just the four of them. 

“Yeah, why not?” They were entering the forests outside of town, where their modest two story log cabin style house was. 

“I’ll think about it for sure.” 

Finally pulling up the long, unpaved driveway they came to a stop. Anakin’s mom usually worked late at her small law firm and Plo was on swing shift at the hospital this week. Ahsoka wasn’t allowed near the oven after the Pizza Fiasco of ‘15, but luckily Anakin was skilled at improvising recipes. And he did most of their shopping. Plo also had no particular skill or interest in cooking and his mom was usually too tired. 

He hated the circumstances which had brought he and Ahsoka together as a family but he didn’t know what he’d do without her. He’d go crazy in this house by himself. His mom rarely ran as a wolf outside of full moons. Plo went more often but he was so busy with being a doctor. Usually it was just the two of them, Anakin in his large, black-furred form and Ahsoka in her more lithe but still powerful grey shift with her sand colored stripes. They were larger than real wolves and retained both minds in both forms. It was a balancing act. One that a Pack was supposed to help with. 

So after homework they set off, shedding human clothes and eyes flashing yellow-gold, running through the large trees, paws digging into the soft soil and scrambling over hard rocks in the light of the setting sun. They tackled each other and raced. It was too far from the full moon to feel a desire to hunt with his teeth but he gave chase to a few rabbits anyway. No one else lived this far out but them. It was private land and he tried not to think for the millionth time that it would have easily housed a Pack larger than four. 

Afterwards, dressed again and nearly ten, he greeted his mom. She hugged him as always, scenting that he’d been out running. He figured he should go ahead and broach the road trip idea with her, since it would likely involve a few fights. 

Predictably, she reacted negatively at first. “Why would you want to go all the way up there?” She asked, and he instinctively hated smelling anger and sadness from his Alpha, but this was important. 

“I love you, but well, it’s hard growing up here for me and Ahsoka. You have to know that. Dating humans is hard, running just the two of us all the time is hard. And we’re fitting in. But I don’t want to spend my life pretending to everyone but her that I’m something I’m not.”

“No one is asking you to! But you’re seventeen!” 

“I’m not saying I have to find a mate to bond with right now! But I’m going kind of stir crazy here. It’s isolating!”

“I know! But it’s safe!” 

And there it was. “What happened over ten years ago-we can’t keep living out of that fear.” He said it softly, knowing this could blow up. “It was terrible but it’s not going to happen again.” 

“I didn’t think it could happen the first time!” 

“And so we stay at arm’s length from humans! It’s dangerous and I understand that. But we can’t stay in no man’s land forever! Or even much longer. We’ll go feral!” God but he and his mother could set each other’s tempers off. 

“You run plenty. You’re not going to go feral.” She rolled her eyes. 

“Do you hate what we are?” She went very still at the question, her hands flattening against the kitchen table. 

“You know I love you-”

“I know you love us. But do you hate being a wolf?” 

“How could you ask me that?” 

“Because you only change on the full moon! You never do it unless you have to and you only do it for as long as you have to. We used to-act like a Pack outside of the full moon. We’d all pile up in the den or- only Ahsoka and I even really scent each other anymore.” He probably smelled like misery but he didn’t care. 

“Bed, Anakin. Now.” She didn’t use her Alpha voice but it was a near thing. He stormed off, shaking his head. He curled up on his bed and tried to feel less lonely. He thought about Ahsoka and Padmé but...full moons were getting worse. He was getting wilder during them. All the restless energy and frustration he spent pushing down the rest of the month would come barreling to the surface and he’d have to go running way before anyone else. His skin would feel too tight too soon, clothes rough against his skin. His mom couldn’t keep ignoring it. But then, she’d been good at ignoring a lot. 

He stayed up tinkering with projects and reading late until the night, not truly able to focus on anything. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day at school was ordinary until lunch. His mom called him on his cell phone right after the lunch bell rang which she never did. He fought to tune out all the background noise. 

“Mom? What’s up?” 

“Are you alright?” 

“What?”

“Are you alright?!”

“Yes! I’m fine, I’m at school, heading to lunch. So is Ahsoka. What’s wrong?”

“Stay at school until it’s over and come straight home. Promise me?” 

“Yeah, okay, promise. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I’ll see you at home.” 

Well that was weird. He jumped on their groups chosen table and waited. Ahsoka came out, dragging not just Riyo but Obi-Wan as well. 

“Look who I found after Web Design,” she said proudly, practically dragging the poor guy. 

“Hey,” Anakin grinned. He grabbed his bag and produced the notes he’d made copies of for English, as well as his old ones from AP Chem. 

“Oh wow, you didn’t have to photocopy them,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Mom’s a lawyer so we have a photocopier fax thing at home,” he shrugged, handing Padmé hers as well. 

“Why didn’t I think to get these from you last year?” She muttered, going through them. “These are fantastic.” 

“Um, because last year when I was in AP Chem we had broken up and I was moping?”

“Angsting,” Ahsoka clarified. “You were angsting. Hard.” Anakin rolled his eyes.

Padmé blushed. “Oh right…”

“You two dated?” Obi-Wan looked surprised. 

“For like...three months. We’re way better off as friends,” Anakin said. 

“I am kinda surprised we didn’t burn down a building or something at one point...we fought a lot when we dated.” Padmé mused. 

“Loudly,” Riyo supplied helpfully. 

Thankfully Rex and Cody approached at that. They both shook hands with Obi-Wan and admitted shock at Anakin being social. 

“I’m social,” he said defensively. 

“Prove it,” Padmé said. “Come to Rainbow Alliance.” 

“I can’t, actually. Mom called and wants both of us home right after school.” 

“What? When?” Ahsoka asked, worry coming off her in waves. 

“A few minutes ago. She said everything was fine but didn’t say why she called.” Ahsoka visibly deflated. She hated it when Pack fought and last night had been rough. 

“You alright?” Rex asked her. Anakin noticed he was sitting closer to her than usual. Shit. 

“Yeah, all good.” She smiled back. Anakin fought the urge to beat his head against the table. 

Talk about classes and clubs moved on and the forty minute lunch period gave way to the last classes of the day. 

“Rex and Ahsoka seem fond of each other,” Obi-Wan said casually. 

“Yeah,” Anakin replied darkly before he could help it. 

“You don’t approve?”

“Rex is great. But he might go into the military next year and that would break Ahsoka’s heart.” 

“Ah, that would be terrible to watch.” Obi-Wan agreed, sadness coming off him. It was strange. Obi-Wan didn’t radiate the flux of emotions that made him wish his sense of smell didn’t work like most teenagers. His emotions were much more stable. And it didn’t just smell like ‘sad’. It smelled like...soil turned over a grave, too sweet with decay. Other people’s emotions didn’t smell so specific. 

“Sorry, I keep bringing people down lately,” Anakin said, taking his seat in the back of class, pleased that Obi-Wan was choosing to sit next to him again. 

“Don’t apologize. I lost my mom not long ago. It’s-hard to process sometimes.” 

“It sucks, I know. My dad and both of Ahsoka’s parents died when we were kids.” 

Before they could say anything else class was starting and they were back to inspecting the motives of Dr. Frankenstein. 

Professor Ti announced a partnered project on the book. They’d have to explain how a few themes permeated the story line and provide symbols, historical context, and and a paper on their analysis. Anakin and Obi-Wan caught each other’s eye and nodded, the universal sign of agreed-upon partnership for students. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anakin was only slightly surprised to find his mom home before they were. Plo was there too. His maternal uncle taking a day off meant something serious. Plo greeted him kindly as always. Anakin swore he liked Ahsoka better. Though he had helped her a lot after her parents had been killed. 

In the kitchen his mom dropped all pretense. “There was an attack on the other side of town. The police are saying the victim was mauled to death by animals. But my office got a hold of some of the photos and reports. This was a were attack.” 

Anakin could he feel his own shock along with Ahsoka’s. There were large Packs north and south of them but another wolf was here? 

“I don’t want either of you running after dark until we know what’s going on. If you smell or hear anything suspicious at all you tell us. It’s most likely a feral Omega, so if you shift, you stay within sight of the house.” 

Anakin fought against his desire to argue and nodded, clenching his teeth. A feral Omega was dangerous to think about. They were typically unable to bond with a Pack and so went insane, attacking anything they could get their jaws around. 

The next day at school people were talking about the killing. At lunch Rex and Cody said their dad was investigating it as he was Sheriff. A neighbor thought it was the guy’s own Doberman but the dog had been found sleeping on the owner’s couch. So their dad was thinking it might have been mountain lions. 

“Who was the victim?” Ahsoka asked. 

“Weird name,” Cody said, trying to think of it. “Palpatine, that was it. Older guy. Not sure what he was doing out in the woods by himself. Poor guy might have been senile.” 

Obi-Wan’s emotions did something funny at that. Anakin could smell his easy going contentment become a bit fearful at that. Fear and confusion. Did he know the guy? A terrible idea struck Anakin. Ahsoka turned, smelling his own fear. “Ahsoka and I forgot something. In my car for a project she has later. We’re gonna go grab it. See you all tomorrow!” 

And with that he was off, Ahsoka doing her best to mutter an apology and grab her stuff. 

Anakin wouldn’t say anything until they were sitting in his car. 

“Ahsoka, Obi-Wan just moved here.”

“And?”

“And we’ve never had other wolves here before. He doesn’t smell different to you?”

Ahsoka thought for a moment. “I guess maybe a little bit? But not like a wolf.” 

“You can’t smell his emotions?”

She scrunched her face up at that. “No. Human emotions kinda blend together for me.” He was sure why she was embarrassed at that but he didn’t press it. “Did you seriously just think the new kid was some kind of stealth wolf who murdered an old man?”

“I-” Anakin flushed. “I don’t know! As soon as Cody mentioned the victim’s name Obi-Wan’s emotions shifted. He knew all the details of the case but hearing the name freaked him out.” 

“So maybe he knows the guy or is related? You couldn’t have just texted me this?! I was sitting next to Rex! We don’t have any classes together this semester!” 

“Sorry! Can you uh...maybe not tell mom or Plo that I can smell Obi-Wan’s emotions?” He grinned hopefully. “I’ll even make it up to you! Group game night tomorrow?” If it meant temporarily avoiding Ahsoka’s anger he’d facilitate more time between the two of them. Maybe it would end in heartbreak. And maybe it would end in the two of them being friends like he and Padmé were. 

“Deal,” she said and they left to finish lunch, Ahsoka only calling him a drama king a handful of times.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obi-Wan caught him again after class and they studied on their table as Anakin waited for Ahsoka’s practice to end. 

“Were you alright, earlier at lunch?” Obi-Wan asked. “You seemed a bit panicked.” 

“Yeah, just...overprotective big brother stuff I guess. But I’m gonna have to realize that I made my mistakes and Ahsoka is going to make hers too. As long as no one intentionally hurts her I won’t rough anyone up. Just because I’ve taken my monastic vows doesn’t mean she to take hers I guess.” He hated when he bullshited and it turned out to be true. 

Obi-Wan laughed and his amusement smelled - no, bad Anakin, stop it! “You’ve taken a vow of celibacy? Not even legal age and swearing off dating?”

“I don’t do casual very well. And well, that’s all most people do it seems. Not that I want to be married as soon as possible but I like stability.”

“That’s valid. And good to know about yourself early on.” Obi-Wan agreed. “I’ve never really dated but I have been treated as...expendable. It’s not something I’d like to repeat very often.” 

“Cheers to that,” Anakin agreed. “Oh, so we’re thinking of doing game night tomorrow if you want to come. I can pick you up if you want. We’ll meet at our house around seven and play board games. Settlers of Catan, Pandemic, whatever we end up voting on. Pretty much the same crew from lunch.” 

“Brilliant, thanks,” Obi-Wan beamed. 

“Yeah, any requests for pizza toppings?” Anakin would not think of Obi-Wan’s smile as ‘cute’. He wouldn’t.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday afternoon came and Ahsoka mocked him endlessly for changing his shirt and trying to get his hair to straighten. Thank God Plo was on the night shift and his mom would give them time to themselves. She fully approved of them bringing humans to the house. Just not the idea they might meet other wolves. He sighed internally and endured his suffering until he left to get Obi-Wan. Rex and Cody would pick up Riyo and Padmé would drive herself over the Latin Club let out. 

The drive was only a little long. And only slightly anxious, Anakin rang the doorbell on the suburban home. A tall man with long hair and a goatee answered, smiling and inviting Anakin in. 

“You must be Anakin. Obi-Wan’s told me a lot about you. I’m Qui-Gon Jinn.” He smiled and shook Anakin’s hand. 

“Thanks. It’s nice sharing classes with Obi-Wan.” 

Obi-Wan came into the clean living room then, sparing him from awkward conversation. 

“Ready?” Anakin asked him. 

“Yeah, bye Qui-Gon.” 

“Have a good time. Call if you’re going to be later than eleven.” 

Obi-Wan nodded and they were out the door. 

“He seems nice,” Anakin said. 

“He is. I was really happy for mum when she married him, but well…” 

“I get it. Not the same as it was.”

“No. Not the same at all.” Obi-Wan’s misery was thick, all tied up like knots in a thread that should be flat. Anakin hated smelling it on his friend.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once everyone had piled in for game night they decided on Settlers of Catan around mouthfuls of pizza. 

There were too many people so they got on teams. Rex and Ahsoka, Cody and Riyo, and then Padmé had brought Satine, so he and Obi-Wan teamed up. 

Padmé and Satine flirted to a ridiculous level with each other and Anakin noticed Cody’s arm going around Riyo when it didn’t have to as they were all sitting on the wooden living room floor. Rex and Ahsoka were close and smiling and whispering at each other constantly but it was pretty cute. 

And it was the best time Anakin had had in far too long. Everyone was laughing, getting into the game and making outlandish accusations in order to barter for resources. 

“You can’t possibly having anything left to trade with,” Rex was saying to Cody and Riyo. “What are you feeding your sheep?” 

“Other sheep,” Riyo said primly. 

When it was their turn Anakin refused to trade as they didn’t need much else at the moment. Unless of course someone would move the Thief’s piece onto Padmé and Satine’s land. 

“You can’t trade over that!” Satine accused. 

“It’s not against the rules,” Anakin grinned back. 

He barely noticed that dark had fallen and while it looked like Padmé and Satine would win, he and Obi-Wan were putting up a good fight. He wistfully thought that this was what Pack should be like. Faux fights and happiness and a house that wasn’t so quiet. Even if Riyo smelled like hair dye and and Anakin had to fight the urge to press his face into Obi-Wan’s neck. 

He was so distracted with the sandalwood scent of Obi-Wan and the happiness of everyone present that he didn’t hear running out in the woods. Not until it was way too close. Every animal had a sound, a pattern that became as distinct as an engine if you ran in the woods with ears like they had. He felt Ahsoka pick up on it too. A wolf. 

They were staring at each other in fear when it howled. Fuck. That wasn’t his mom or Plo. And it wasn’t a family call of any kind. It was a challenge. 

“Stop,” Anakin said a bit loudly. Everyone was looking at him. The howl came out again. 

“What was that?” Rex asked, a bit unnerved. 

“A wolf?” Cody asked, disbelievingly. God it had gotten a lot closer very quickly. If humans could hear it they were in trouble.

“There aren’t any wolves in California,” Obi-Wan said warily. They could see into the back porch from where they were, through the small kitchen. The back yard was lit softly by the outdoor lights. They were all looking through the sliding glass doors that led out into the wide, unmanicured lawn. 

And like a terrible horror movie, a huge animal leapt right up against the doorway. 

“Christ!” Cody yelled as Rio and Padmé shrieked. 

It was a wolf. And it was most definitely not an Omega if the red eyes were anything to go by. 

“Everyone, upstairs in my room.” Anakin said.

“It’s not like it can get in,” Rex said. “We should call dad and tell him to call animal control though.” 

The wolf thunked solidly against the door again, its whitish fur gleaming in the lights as it slammed itself against the barrier.

“It is absolutely big enough to break that glass,” Anakin responded. “And it’s eyes are fucking red. Let’s get upstairs at least.”

They all complied that time and and Anakin followed, calling his mom as he went. 

“What is it sweetheart?” It sounded like she was getting drinks with work friends if they background noises were anything to go by. Hopefully that meant she wasn't far.

“Um, that problem you mentioned the other day? It’s here,” He hissed, hoping only Ahsoka could hear him from his place on the stairs. 

“What?! At the house?” 

“Yes! It’s an Alpha!” 

“Oh my god. I’m coming. Do whatever you have to to keep yourselves safe.” Anakin nodded and hung up, leaving the SOS code on Plo’s work cell and joining everyone in his room. 

“What is that thing?” Obi-Wan asked, terrified. “That’s like no wolf I’ve ever seen. And rabies doesn’t give animals red eyes.” 

“I don’t know.” Anakin lied, grateful that Rex was already on the phone with his dad.

He heard something make a ‘thunk’ sound downstairs. The glass doors were giving out. The straining metal and glass audible only to he and Ahsoka but they’d all be able to hear it soon. The bastard was toying with them. It would be through those doors in a second if it wanted to be. Hell, Anakin had accidentally broken them one full moon.

Looking at Ahsoka he drew himself up to his full height. If it came to that, they’d have to fight this thing off. Their friends wouldn’t last a second, and she knew it too. Without their Alpha neither would they, but they’d have a better shot at least.

A louder ‘thunk’ this time. ‘Little pigs, little pigs,’ Anakin thought mirthlessly. Cody wrapped his arms around Riyo, both of them sitting on Anakin’s dark green comforter.

“If Ahsoka or I leave this room, all of you stay in it, understood?” He said to everyone there. 

“You can’t fight that thing!” Padmé protested. 

“There’s a gun downstairs,” he lied. “In a safe. Only Ahsoka and I have the code. If one of us leaves everyone else stays.” 

Another bang. This one signaled cracking glass. A large crack at that. 

“Ahsoka, keep them safe.” 

“Anakin, no!” She pleaded with him. 

“I love you.” He gave her a pointed look.

And he shut the door behind him. He barely reached the first stair before he heard the crashing of an entire plate glass window and he transformed without thinking about it, clothes ripping apart. His fore paws hit the ground floor without ever touching the staircase. 

He met the Alpha head on in his kitchen, preventing it from reaching the staircase, growling at it low in his throat. He hadn’t really fought since the night his dad had been murdered, but he’d give it everything he had for the people up in his room. 

He could feel how pleased the Alpha was with itself and that made Anakin furious. But he had to wait. It was older and more experienced than him, though not bigger at least. 

It lunged and he moved, leaping over it and coming up behind. He tried to bite at the Alpha’s muzzle but he was pushed back, sliding across broken glass and there was a tearing feeling in his side. He yelped in surprise and smelled Ahsoka’s fear and anger. 

He lunged again, missing and scrambling back up. He changed tactics and feinted, managing a bite on its flank though not a deep one. The Alpha turned on him and rammed him into the glass a second time, hitting the wound and then biting his face. He felt teeth close harshly around his eye and Anakin barely managed to pull back, blood obscuring his vision. He wasn’t sure how it happened but he was on his back and his world exploded in pain as he took a wound to the softer part of his belly. God, it had ripped his stomach open.

“There are two now!” he heard Rex call out from the staircase. Fuck. No. Gotta get back upstairs. “Ahsoka, no! Get upstairs!” He heart a commotion from the stairs and the Alpha left him to go after the others. 

He forced himself up, ignoring the pain, and grabbed the Alpha’s hind leg as it made for Ahsoka, biting down as hard has he could, feeling bone crunch. But the thing was determined to keep charging, pulling Anakin the short distance to the stairwell with it. 

“Rex, no!” And then Rex was yelling and Anakin could smell Ahsoka’s wolf form, and he kept biting down on the leg he had in his mouth. The Alpha turned to attack him and Ahsoka was on him. She had the element of surprise and slammed in, pushing the stranger into the kitchen sink. Anakin used the distraction to attack, going for the underbelly, then getting a solid bite in on its neck. He tried to keep it pinned but it got up. Though not before Ahsoka ripped at the wound he’d made in the Alpha’s gut. It caused the Alpha to yelp and throw them off, thankfully heading into the woods. Safe. That meant everyone else was safe. He couldn’t smell the stench of an outsider as strongly anymore. It must really be fleeing.

Anakin wasn’t sure if he could get up. His stomach felt torn open and all his effort was on breathing. Ahsoka turned back, gathering up her clothes hurriedly. She was covered in blood. He watched distantly as she dressed, t- shirt and jeans thrown on mechanically.

“Anakin,” She said, with a sob. “Anakin.” He couldn’t turn back. Wounds hurt less as a wolf and were easier to heal. He was scared that turning back would kill him. He could feel his mom’s worry. She must be nearby. He was panting. He could taste Ahsoka’s fear. Whining, he regretted that this might be the last time he’d see her. 

Sandalwood? Someone else was in his line of vision now. 

“You have to get away from it!” 

“No! You don’t understand!” 

“Ani!” Mom? 

That was last thing he remembered for a few hours. 

The rest he wouldn’t really remember too well. Snippets of conversations passed through the swirling dark fog in his head from far away. 

“I know someone who might be able to help.”

“Anakin…” Uncle Plo’s scent was close. 

“This is...severe. But I can help. Though some of it will be up to Anakin.” 

He was being moved, he thought. Not far though. 

“How’s the other boy doing?” 

Then he slept for two days. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When he woke up he was in his room. And he was still a wolf. He whined, not understanding. Immediately his mom was there, followed by Ahsoka. Oh, thank god. 

“My boy,” his mother sobbed. “Are you alright?” He was sore but he felt fine. He huffed a breath in her direction to try and calm her. Ahsoka kneeled and pressed her face to his. He tried to sit up but was stopped. 

“Do you feel up to changing back?” His mother asked. “I know it hurts more but you’ll have to eat soon.” Taking a deep breath, he focused. 

Suddenly the world was so much more painful. Never let it be said that stomach wounds didn’t hurt. The wounds which had healed a bit as wolf were far more tender as a human. Thankfully the blood and fresh tearing he feared didn’t happen. Still, his abdomen throbbed painfully with the angry red skin over it. So did his face, come to think of it. And his left ribcage..

“Why does this hurt so much?” He ground out.

“You’ve never been hurt like that before,” he mother said, stroking his hair back from his forehead and avoiding his right eye. “Not by an Alpha.” Shit. That’s right. An Alpha had attacked them while everyone had been at the house. He tried to sit up again. Nope. Too soon. 

“How long was I out? Is everyone else okay?” 

“Two days,” Ahsoka said. “And well, it’s complicated.” He could smell her sadness and...guilt?

“Can you get him some of that tea?” His mom asked Ahsoka. She was down the steps a second later. Anakin was grateful for the blanket his mom put over him. Nudity wasn’t a big deal to their kind, but still. “Here, let me help you up.” 

Slowly and painfully he was finally able to sit. “What exactly does complicated mean?” Being scared of the answer didn’t mean he wouldn’t ask. He smelled the all too familiar reluctance from his mother. 

“Come on, I nearly died. I should know. Oh, no, I’m sorry mom, don’t cry. I’m fine. I’m gonna be fine.” 

“I spent so long trying to keep you both safe. I thought that ten years ago I failed as an Alpha. But that..seeing you bleeding out. That broke my heart.” 

“Mom, come here.” She was leaning against his shoulder lightly crying, seated on the edge of the mattress. “It’s okay. You didn’t fail. There was no way to know that some psycho would attack us in our own home.” After several minutes his mother straightened. “I-You were dying. I could feel it. Ahsoka was in front of you, trying to hold your stomach together but there was too much blood. Obi-Wan was in the kitchen-”

“Oh God, no.”

“Yes. He tried to get Ahsoka away from you but she snapped at him. I think he realized then that well, that it was you on the floor. That’s when I got there. He said he could, that he knew someone who could help. So he called Qui-Gon.” 

“What?” His mind was racing faster than he could process. 

“I know. It didn’t make sense but I was desperate. But Obi-Wan, he helped too. He said he could try hold you together until Qui-Gon got there. So he knelt down beside Ahsoka and put his hands on you. He didn’t heal you but he slowed the bleeding. Then Qui-Gon took over and we got you stable and moved to the couch. You’d been hit so hard that we weren’t sure if- but you did.” The relief he could smell was ridiculous. But how the hell had Obi-Wan-

“Wait. Rex saw. Where is he? How did everyone get down without half the school finding out about us?” 

His mother took a deep breath. “Rex was trying to keep Ahsoka safe. He-he was bitten. He spent a night at the hospital but Plo made sure he was the one to treat him. He- we haven’t explained any of it to him or his father yet. Plo is making sure that the bandages are kept on, but soon Rex will figure out that he’s healed.”

Oh, God. Ahsoka’s guilt. Rex had been bitten by an Alpha and lived which meant- “Rex is a wolf now?” 

“We think so. I haven’t been over there. I’ve been too worried with you.” Ahsoka entered then and pressed a cup of tea into his hand. 

She took the story over from there. “Mom had everyone wait in your room until we could cover you with blankets. They were all really freaked out by all the blood but we told them you were already on your way to the hospital and that the wolf was dead. It took Sheriff Fett a little while to get out here. He’s pissed. He knows things don’t add up. Rex swore he saw two wolves but he also hit his head on the stairs and passed out for a few minutes.” 

Anakin sat quietly for a bit. It was all so much to take in. And poor Rex. Being turned was supposed to be harder the older you were. He’d need their help. 

“So, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are what? Some kind of werewolf healers?” Fuck, Obi-Wan knew what he was. Of course he did. The idea made him unbearably sad. 

“They’re magic users,” his mom said. 

“What?!” Turning his shoulders was a terrible idea. “Magic?! Like Hogwarts and pointy hats?”

“We’re werewolves, dear,” His mom patted his hand like he might be a bit slow due to his injuries. Which, okay, fair. He did get huge, dark, and furry on a regular basis. That had to be a kind of magic. “Qui-Gon is a druid. I’m not sure what Obi-Wan is but I get the feeling he’s something different. They came by to check on you yesterday. I should let Qui-Gon know you’re up. It was touch and go there for awhile. But you’ve always been a fighter.” His mom nuzzled the top of his head and it made him happy that his Alpha was scenting him again. Being acknowledged as Pack was crucial. He felt her guilt at his happiness but squeezed her hand. That left him and Ahsoka in the room. 

“You should finish that tea. Qui-Gon said it would help you heal faster.” It was bitter but not terrible as he sipped it. 

“Don’t beat yourself up,” he said, looking into her eyes. “We protected our friends from an Alpha. We chased that guy off to the hills.” 

“You did most of that. I’m so sorry. I should have helped sooner. I was such a coward-” 

“No. You did the right thing. I’m the oldest and the biggest. I had to go first. And you saved me just in time. I’m sure that asshole smelled mom coming and realized he was wounded and couldn’t take you and another Alpha on.” She sniffed a bit but seemed to feel a little better at his words. 

“I couldn’t save Rex though. I don’t see how he could ever forgive me for this.” 

“Hey. None of that. Come here.” She took the spot his mom had vacated. “This wasn’t our fault. We thought that the worst case scenario was a feral Omega. Not a psycho Alpha. You tried to get Rex out of harm’s way without revealing that you could pick him up if you had to and not break a sweat. There were a lot of humans and no way for us to know that someone was coming to hurt us.” 

“I just- I’m going to have to talk to him. And maybe Cody and his dad. This is serious. An Alpha was careless enough to bite a human and take off. Plo said we’d have to try and make him part of our Pack in order to make sure the other Alpha can’t use him. The full moon is in less than two weeks and it’s going to be so painful for him. I just...I know he’s going to hate me.” 

“You don’t know that. There’s no way to know. We’ll make sure we explain that it wasn’t us. We don’t know who attacked us. There have never been wolves in town besides us that we knew of. He’s a human, not a hunter. He might understand.” 

“Yeah, maybe.” She didn’t smell like she believed it for a second. From downstairs they heard their mom’s phone call to Qui-Gon. Apparently he was coming over soon to check on Anakin again. 

“Speaking of, Obi-Wan might not ever talk to me again. We could start a club.” That got a laugh out of his sister at least. 

“Only if we can build a treehouse and make a sign. But I wouldn’t be sure about Obi-Wan. He knelt down in your blood even after I snapped at him. And I mean I snarled, flashed him some eyes and teeth. But he still used his magic to hold you together. And he came back with Qui-Gon to check on you.” 

“Really?” He couldn’t help the goofy grin on his face at that. 

“Really.” He felt her roll her eyes. “I should let you rest before they get here. Rex keeps texting me and I just..I don’t know what to say.” 

“It would probably be easiest if he came over and we showed him. It’s what I would want. The more information he has up front the less he’ll think we were trying to hide things from him.” 

“Yeah, that’s what Plo told mom. Oh, when you feel up to it you should text Padmé and the rest. We said you’d been treated for minor wounds in triage and were sleeping of a heavy dose of painkillers but...well, things are gonna come out in the wash sooner or later.”

“I think my head hurts too much for me to look at a screen right now but I’ll keep it in mind.” He very much wanted to lay back down. “Can you help me lay down and wake me up before Qui-Gon comes in here?” 

“Of course.” Ahsoka helped him lay back on his pillow underneath his blanket and climbed over him, curling up on top of the covers by his side. Having Pack in close proximity made healing easier and faster. He let himself drift off, grateful that she was safe. 

The next time he woke she was shaking him awake gently. 

“Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are in the driveway. Let’s get you sitting up.” Soon he was up again and could hear the two other heartbeats and voices downstairs. Obi-Wan had such a nice steady heartbeat.

“Down boy,” Ahsoka joked, and he swatted at her as best he could. She took a seat in his computer chair, unwilling to leave the room if non-Pack was going to be in it. 

A few minutes later Qui-Gon was entering his room, Obi-Wan following behind him. 

“Anakin, I’m very glad to see you’re up.” Qui-Gon said, smiling kindly. 

“Me too,” Obi-Wan said quietly. Anakin smiled at his friend with the half of his face that didn’t hurt. Then his mother entered and Anakin was aware that he was wearing nothing but a blanket inside his very packed bedroom. 

“Thanks. I heard that I’m only alive thanks to you two.” 

“I suppose we all have some credit in it. Though your injuries were severe. May I examine your abdomen?” 

“Um, yeah, sure.” The man’s hands were gentle, pressing lightly on the angry tissue the stretched from under his ribs to just below his navel. He felt a strange kind of energy but it wasn’t painful. Just odd.

“You’ll have some serious scarring here since the wounds were from an Alpha of another pack. I imagine you’ll also have some scarring around your right eye. But you being awake and able to shift back is the biggest sign of your recovery. I can’t detect much internal damage anymore, only soreness. I think you’re going to be just fine.” Relief wasn’t the worst smell in the world. 

His mom thanked both of them again and Qui-Gon went downstairs with her. After a pointed look from him so did Ahsoka, which left him alone with Obi-Wan. The silence was only slightly awkward. 

“I’m sorry,” Anakin blurted out. “I have no idea who attacked us and if I had ever thought there was any danger, I wouldn’t have invited you or anyone else over. You shouldn’t have had to see all of that.” Obi-Wan looked surprised. 

“Anakin, did you think I would be mad?” 

“I-I don’t know! No one knows what we are and you could have been killed!”

“I could have been killed?! You almost were killed!” His eyes were shining more green than grey and he was nearly yelling. “I’m fine! When Ahsoka’s eyes turned yellow trying to defend you I knew what you were. I didn’t care. I tried to save you.”

“I know. And thank you. I just...always figured that if any human knew what I was they’d hate me.”

Obi-Wan slumped a bit at that. “Oh. You’ve really never told anyone?”

“No. I-my dad was human. He told someone what mom was, what I was. They killed him for being a traitor. Tried to kill all of us. The pack used to be bigger. Ahsoka’s parents were killed that night, too. Now it’s just the four of us.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Obi-Wan said. “I didn’t think- But I’m not mad. I’m just very happy that you’re alright. That was horrible to see. You were bleeding out from so many places. Your stomach was-It’s not something I ever want to see again.” 

“Trust me, I don’t ever want to experience it again. Though hey, you’re magic.” He smiled broadly at that and enjoyed seeing Obi-Wan blush. 

“I-I am. I got it from my mum. She was a mage, like me. That’s how she met Qui-Gon. The magical community. I haven’t done magic in a long time though. Not since she died three years ago.” 

“Sorry you had to for me. But thank you.” 

“Don’t be sorry. I’m not.”

“So, we’re still friends?” Anakin asked hopefully. 

“Of course we are. I didn’t spend two days worrying about you only to stop talking to you.” Obi-Wan pushed a lock of auburn hair out of his eyes absently. 

“Good. Though I guess we’re going to have to talk to Rex soon. That won’t be fun. It’s not often that humans get turned. Less often that it’s not on purpose.”

“Yeah. Qui-Gon told me. I’d only ever heard a few mentions of werewolves existing before. Apparently he used to freelance for a Pack in Europe. He consulted with their Alpha a few times and would patch them up if they needed it in exchange for access to their libraries.” 

“I never thought about magic being real, you never thought much about wolves...we can out do Padmé and start a Supernatural Alliance club. We can educate each other about being good paranormal allies!”

He very much wanted to hear Obi-Wan laugh like that more often. And oh. Obi-Wan knew what he was and liked him anyway. That was certainly something.

“I should go and let you rest. Qui-Gon thinks you’ll be fine in a couple more days but better to be safe. Text me if you need anything, okay?” 

Anakin reached out and squeezed Obi-Wan’s hand. “I will. And thank you. I mean it.” He felt a squeeze back and once everyone was downstairs he went back into a restful sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite Dr. Koon keeping an eye on Rex’s shoulder wound he’d been on edge since the attack at his friends’ house. The attack happened Friday and now it was Monday evening. Something about the version of events his dad had given didn’t add up. It didn’t help that Sheriff Fett was wearing his “I’m feeding my kids bullshit because I have to” face when he’d gone over everything with him and Cody. Rex had hit his head pretty hard on the stairs but he hadn’t imagined the two huge wolves in Ahsoka’s kitchen or the blood that had been everywhere. 

The story was that the wolves had run off after wounding each other but something itched under his skin, telling him that that wasn’t the truth. Or at least not the whole truth. Anakin had been wounded as well but Rex hadn’t seen him yet, only texted briefly with him an hour or so ago. He shook his bald head. What the hell had Anakin been thinking, running off to get a gun out of a safe with a vicious animal in the house? Anakin wasn’t dumb and there were so many questions that were unanswered. And Obi-Wan had been right. California didn’t have a native wolf population, much less wolves that large. 

Rex rubbed the back of his head where he’d taken the blow on the staircase. He’d stopped taking his pain meds yesterday and since then he hadn’t felt so much as a twinge from his head or his shoulder which was heavily bandaged. He wanted to pull it off to see how deep the wound was but Dr. Koon had told him to keep it bandaged at least until tomorrow to protect healing tissues. Though he felt better than ever, like he could fight a bull bare-handed and win. Cody had told him repeatedly that this wouldn’t end his football career but Rex couldn’t articulate that that wasn’t what he was worried about. Dr. Koon had said that his sense of smell and sound might be out of whack for a bit and he hadn’t been wrong. The bells at school that day were grating and everything felt so loud that it had him feeling like he was on the verge of a panic attack all day. He kept getting snippets of conversations from people who were far away and the smells from the locker rooms and cafeterias were overwhelming. He was seriously considering staying home tomorrow until the side effects of the concussion subsided. 

And then there was Ahsoka. She was barely responded to his texts and had been MIA at lunch. Padme and Satine seemed concerned about her and Anakin as well but no one was sure what to do about it. Padme was worried that Anakin’s injuries were worse than what they’d been told but they didn’t have any way to verify. He hoped Anakin had texted Padme as well. But Ahsoka...she was one of his best friends and he didn’t understand why she was being distant. Maybe she was worried about her brother but usually she’d come to him about things like that. He thought back to her leaving Anakin’s room on Friday night after hearing a yelp and more crashes from downstairs. He’d never been so scared in his life as he was watching her run towards danger so of course he’d followed. His chest clenched thinking of her in trouble, and clenched tighter at the thought of her not feeling like she could confide in him. 

He paced his room, wondering when it had started smelling so...pungent. It wasn’t bad, it just smelled strongly of sweaty football gear, his body wash which he’d never noticed was so powerful, and the warm electrical smell of his computer running. Flopping on his bed he stared at his phone. He needed to talk to Ahsoka. At least just to hear her voice for a few minutes. The phone rang several times and he briefly felt pathetic before she picked up. 

“Hey, Rex.” He immediately hated how sad she sounded. 

“Hey. Was worried when I didn’t see you at lunch. Are you okay? How’s Anakin doing?” 

“He’s doing a lot better,” and she sounded so relieved over that that it made him almost sure his wounds were more serious than his family had let on. “I-I guess I’m alright, too.” 

“You don’t sound like it. And I know you. There’s part of the story I don’t know and maybe I can deal with that. But I can’t deal with you being upset with me.” 

“Rex, no. I’m so sorry. I’m not upset with you. I’m upset with me. It’s my fault you got hurt. If I hadn’t gone out there...You’d still be okay.” 

“Ahsoka,” he was touched at her concern but he was fine. “It’s just a bite. I tested negative for rabies and everything. Worst case scenario I don’t finish the year with the football team and that’s not a huge loss. I don’t blame you.” 

Instead of relief he heard Ahsoka choke off a sob. “I can’t-” She took a deep breath. “Can you come over tomorrow after school? Cody should probably come too. The four of us need to talk.” 

“Of course. We’ll drive over right after the last bell.” He couldn’t stand to hear the misery in her voice. 

“Okay. Thank you. And I’m sorry.” And she hung up. Well, at least he’d see her tomorrow for sure. 

Late that night, Rex couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed, hyper aware of the sounds outside his window. And his shoulder itched. No matter how much he slapped it it kept itching. Then it abruptly stopped. That was odd. He turned on his bedside lamp and looked at the mirror across from his bed. There hadn’t been any blood or other fluids from the wound since Dr. Koon had dressed it. Surely the skin needed some fresh air and he could redress it with the first aid kit in the bathroom. Plus he’d see Dr. Koon at Ahsoka’s house tomorrow anyway. He moved in front of the mirror and used his left fingernails to pick at the tape. In only a few seconds his right shoulder was uncovered and...what in the nine hells? There was no wound! Absolutely nothing to show that three days ago a giant wolf had tackled and bitten him. He wondered if he was dreaming but no...touching the skin he couldn’t even feel scar tissue. What the fuck was this? He was young and athletic and healed fast but this was insane. He was starting to panic now. 

How would a wound which had hurt like all hell and destroyed his shirt with blood stains just knit back together in a few days without so much as a scar? He sat by his bed and focused on taking deep breaths. Was this what Ahsoka had been worried about? Did he have some kind of weird disease now? Was that why no one had seen Anakin yet either? What kind of disease caused wounds to heal? A blood disorder? Breathe, he reminded himself. He checked the time. 4:30am. Okay, no way was he getting back to sleep but he could make a plan. When the sun came up he’d show Cody. Their dad was working an all nighter but his brother would want to help. Then he’d call Ahsoka and tell her he needed to come over as soon as possible. He was too worked up over this to get through classes. Okay. Breathe. A few hours and he’d be closer to answers. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ahsoka was getting ready for school, taking Anakin’s precious car since he was still healing. Her phone hardly ever rang this early and when she saw it was Rex her stomach dropped. 

“What’s up?” She asked, as evenly as she could muster. 

“I um- I think I need to talk to you before school. Something is off. With me I mean. I’m kinda freaked out. Is there anyway you could skip? I think I also need to talk to your Uncle.” 

Ahsoka let out a shaky breath. She owed him this. And so much more. “Yeah. Shmi already left for work but I can text Plo to see if he can get off early. He will if it’s you. Come over around ten?” 

“We’ll be there. Thanks, Ahsoka.” Hanging up, she felt like she could vomit. They’d known and agreed that they’d have to explain things to Rex and to his brother. The twins didn’t keep things from each other and it wouldn’t be fair to ask Rex to hide this from his flesh and blood. Maybe it would be better if it was her and Anakin explaining it with Plo on hand. God, she hoped he didn’t hate her for this. There was no telling how someone might react to becoming a werewolf. She texted Plo and went upstairs to talk to Anakin. 

“Hey,” she said, entering his room. “Did you hear my conversation with Rex?” 

“Yeah.” He was sitting up on his own now which was good, wearing gym shorts and and a ratty old Fugazi shirt, going through notes that Obi-Wan had dropped off for him yesterday. And he was starting to smell like the tea Qui-Gon had brought by in mass quantities. “He cares about you. Any idiot can see it. And even if he doesn’t take this so well at first, he’ll come around. I hate to say it but he’ll need us and we need him. He can’t go through his first transition alone and we need him to submit to mom and break whatever hold that psycho might have on him.” 

Ahsoka sighed, sitting on Anakin’s bed. “Yeah. I just...he had a future planned. This is gonna ruin it for him. And it’ll be my fault that he can’t join the military or have a normal life.” 

“Hey,” Anakin rested his head against her shoulder. “It’s not your fault. It’s that fang happy Alpha’s fault. You tried really hard to protect him. I’ll do everything I can to help him understand that.” 

She could smell his protectiveness and it made her feel safe. “Thanks.” She checked her phone. “Plo says he’ll be here around eleven. So that gives us an hour to explain Rex’s furry new problem to him and Cody.” 

“Just tell him that now you’ll both have mood issues once a month.” She whacked Anakin soundly with a pillow but couldn’t help smiling. Her brother was somehow simultaneously the worst and the best. 

She made herself busy making a serious breakfast and making sure there was more tea for Anakin. Well, she wasn’t a cook so by breakfast she meant french toast that came from a box and some pre-cut fruit from the fridge. ‘Hey, sorry about your being a werewolf and your life changing. Have some shitty prepackaged food I heated up,’ she thought bitterly. 

By the time she could hear the twins’ blue jeep heading up their driveway she had cleaned the kitchen and made a somewhat presentable breakfast. Anakin was coming down stairs and she moved to help him. The scar tissue on his abdomen was still giving him trouble, but at least he could walk. 

“We got this,” Anakin pulled her into a tight hug as they waited for Rex and Cody to ring the doorbell. Once they had Ahsoka opened the door, hugging both her friends. 

“Come on, I made food,” she said, leading them towards the table. The glass doors had been fixed the day after attack so there was only a view of a wide yard and trees beyond it from the kitchen table. Anakin hugged the twins as well, though he told them to be careful as he was still sore. 

They all took their seats though only Cody pulled food towards him. 

“You look alright,” Rex said to Anakin. “When you didn’t show up for school yesterday we worried that maybe you were more seriously injured than your mom said.” 

“I was,” Anakin said. “I could only get out of be by myself last night. It wasn’t fun.” He stood and lifted his shirt, showing the long stretch of angry red tissue over his abdomen and around his ribs. 

“That looks like it’s been healing for weeks,” Cody said. “I got stitches once and that kind of tissue took forever to form. Does this have to do with why Rex’s shoulder is already healed?” 

“You took the bandages off?” Ahsoka asked, but not in an accusing way. Rex nodded and huh...she’d always thought he smelled nice before. For a human. But the way he smelled now was kind of amazing. She suddenly wanted to hug him again and press her nose into his neck. 

“Yeah. I-I know this isn’t normal. I couldn’t find anything online about a disease that would promote healing. And I know we didn’t get the whole story of what happened on Friday night. But I saw the blood. It was everywhere. And there were two wolves and the one that had the red eyes...Look, we need to know what’s going on. We deserve to.” 

Ahsoka took a deep breath. She was going to explain this. She had to because they did deserve to know. Hell they would need to know in order to keep Rex safe. “It’s not a disease. Though some people do see it that way. What else have you noticed? Heightened sensitivity to smells and sounds?” Rex nodded. “That’s not from a concussion. Plo just told you that until we could properly sit you down and explain this. We would have sooner but Anakin almost died. Until Monday morning we weren’t sure if he was going to live.” 

“He went from almost dying to scar tissue?” Rex said. He would be been incredulous but well, his own shoulder shouldn’t be all smooth skin and fully functional right now. 

“I did,” Anakin said. “That wolf almost tore half my gastrointestinal tract out.” 

“That’s why your mom and Ahsoka were so...some of my memories are a little hazy. So the healing. The hearing and sense of smell. If it’s not a disease then what is it?” Ahsoka could smell his anxiety and knew it was best to be direct and get the shock over with.

“Rex, Cody.” Ahsoka started. “You’re probably not going to want to believe us. But Plo will be here in an hour or so if you want to verify it with him. The thing is, we’re not human. The reason you’re healing so fast is because well, you’re not either. Not anymore. We’re werewolves.” Ahsoka held her breath as she watched their faces. 

“Werewolves.” Rex deadpanned. “This isn’t funny. I’m worried about the status of my health.” 

“I’m not joking. Rex, you saw two giant wolves fight in our kitchen, got bitten, and now you’re healing like Wolverine and sensing things you shouldn’t be able to. It’s why the four of us live out here. It gives us privacy.” Rex looked pale and a million expressions seems to flicker across his face. Cody was faring about the same. 

“I-that’s not possible. Or real.” Rex stuttered. 

“And it wasn’t even a full moon!” Cody added. “Ahsoka, Anakin. Seriously. I know there’s something that people don’t want us to know but drop this and just tell us.” 

“I can prove it,” Ahsoka said. She stood reluctantly. This is what she’d really been dreading. She’d turn in front of Rex and he’d see her as a monster. He’d be just like the people who’d killed her parents and part of her would never recover from that. But this was necessary and Anakin wasn’t supposed to be shifting unless he had to for a few more days. 

She faced the twins and pulled a partial shift, eyes going golden-yellow and opening her mouth to reveal long, sharp fangs. Her ears were extended almost elf-like and her brows had thickened as fur framed the sides of her face and the coated the backs of her arms. Her hands now ended in wicked looking claws. Cody stood up so fast his chair hit the floor. She could smell shock and fear from both of them and it broke her heart just a little. But she figured she might as well go for broke. She pushed herself into a full shift, dropping to all fours and not even caring about destroying the clothes she’d been in. She’d dressed for the occasion and worn and old t shirt and stained pants anyway. And then she was sitting in front of the table, well over twice as large as she was as a human. Her cream colored fur with the grey stripes gave her an almost brindle coat. She sat on all fours, looking for all the world like an overly large husky mix of some kind waiting for a command. Staring at the table seemed safer than looking at Rex or Cody. Their fear was still thick in the air though they hadn’t moved since Cody knocked over the chair. 

“We’re the same no matter what form we’re in,” Anakin said. “She’s still Ahsoka. Human or wolf she would never hurt either of you. Neither of us would. You’ve known us since middle school. I hope you can see we’re the same people you’ve known for years. We just...get furry in way that’s somehow still less weird than actual furries.” The joke fell a little flat but it did seem to break some of the tension. 

“That’s...that’s really Ahsoka?” Rex asked and she could practically hear Anakin roll his eyes.

“Yes. And we don’t turn deaf when we shift. You can talk to her directly.” Ahsoka hung her head at that. She didn’t want to look at Rex. If she didn’t look then her heart wouldn’t break. 

“Ahsoka?” Rex asked gently. Bracing herself emotionally she lifted her head to see Rex...kind of in awe? He was clearly surprised but he also wasn’t angry or disgusted. At least not yet. She nodded to indicate she’d heard him. “You’re….you’re kind of incredible.” Then he broke out in a grin. “You’re a werewolf! Of all the times I gave you piggy back rides you probably could have bench pressed me with one arm!” He got a more serious look on his face. “Can I...can I touch your fur?” Ahsoka was fully about to nod but Anakin interrupted. 

“That’s um, kind of an intimate thing. Exchanging scents like that and touching someone’s shifted form. Only pack does that.” 

“Oh, sorry,” he retracted the hand he’d stretched out. She was gonna kill her brother. Rex smelled good and she wanted his hands in her fur. And okay, maybe it wasn’t fair to basically enter courtship with someone who didn’t know what they were doing. 

“Fucking werewolves,” Cody said sounding still surprised but also intrigued. “So Rex is what? A werewolf now?” 

“You are,” Anakin said, facing the twin in question. “And we’re sorry about that. If we’d known that someone was going to attack us, we never would have let humans at the house. That big white wolf with the red eyes? We don’t know who that is. He’s definitely not part of our Pack. We thought we were the only wolves in this town. But we think he killed that old man last week. He’s the one who bit you. Who almost killed me. And we have no idea why. Though we think he bit you accidentally while trying to kill Ahsoka.” 

Rex took a long drink of water from the glass in front of him. “I’m a werewolf now. That’s-This is-What am I supposed to do? How do I change? How am I supposed to live the rest of my life hiding what I am? What if that other wolf comes back for you or me?” 

“Breathe, Rex,” Anakin said. “Let’s start with the first thing. You won’t change until your first full moon. The movies are right about that part. We have to change on the full moon and there’s no way to stop it. And your first transformation won’t be easy. It will hurt but if you want, we’ll be here with you. It helps to have other weres around. The day of the full moon you’ll feel on edge, bursting with energy that has to get out. But like I said, we can help with that. Once you get used to your senses, the new strength you’ll have, it won’t be so bad. Hell, Ahsoka can control herself well enough to play volleyball like any other girl on the team. But there is one immediate concern we have about the psycho who bit you.” 

Rex ran a hand down his face. “Which is?”

“Well, we don’t know him. But he was an Alpha. That’s what the red eyes meant. Only Alpha wolves can turn people. If Ahsoka or I bit you nothing would happen. When Alphas turn humans it’s supposed to be consensual. Because turning someone doesn’t just make them a wolf, it makes them part of that Alpha’s Pack. So, you’re effectively part of his Pack. Which gives him certain kinds of leverage over you. He can’t force you to do anything like kill or rob banks, but it gives him a line to your emotional state and physical location. And having a Beta makes him stronger.” 

“So some asshole can what? Read my mind and know where I am? And if I don’t do what he says what happens?” 

“Guessing at who we’re dealing with, he’d kill you.” Anakin said seriously. “He’s unhinged. Alphas are supposed to be selfless leaders. Someone who attacked a house of teenagers while their Alpha was out isn’t selfless or wise. They’re murderous and power hungry.” 

“Wait,” Cody interjected. “Who’s your Alpha then?” 

“My mom,” Anakin said. “She took over as Alpha when her father died.” 

“Back to me being linked to a murderer,” Rex said. “There has to be a way to break that link, right? I mean I can’t just be stuck with someone who could find me or my family and hurt them.” 

“There is a way,” Anakin said. “Well, there are two ways. One would be killing your Alpha. Which is unlikely as he’s strong and you’ve never shifted. The other would be to submit to a different Alpha and override the claim. That’s probably our best option.” 

“Submit how?” 

“There’s a kind of informal ceremony. I’m not sure on the specifics since we haven’t taken anyone in as Pack since Ahsoka and I were in diapers. But it’s not a big to do. You kneel in front of mom, vow to help protect the Pack and work for its best interest, follow the Alpha’s orders, not that mom is the ‘drop and give me twenty’ type, and then she bites you. I think that’s it. Plo would know more about it.” 

“So no matter what I have to follow someone else’s commands for the rest of my life?” 

“No. Most Alphas aren’t like that and mom definitely isn’t like that. If you wanted to go off to college or travel the world or whatever it wouldn’t be an issue. She’d just want to make sure that you could fully control your shifts and emotions first and know that you wouldn’t go telling humans what we are.” Ahsoka could smell the sadness in Anakin at the thought of adding a pack member only to have them not want to be a proper part of the Pack. 

“This is all so unreal. I thought deciding between college or the military first would be the biggest decision of this year. Now I’m...a fucking Hollywood monster?!” 

Ahsoka appreciated Anakin’s anger at that. “We’re not monsters.We don’t hurt people. What that Alpha did to you was monstrous but plenty of humans do terrible things all on their own.” 

“All I’m saying is this is a lot to take in.” 

“Should we tell dad?” Cody asked his brother. “If this is connected to that old man being mauled to death and a killer might be after one of us, shouldn’t he know?” 

“Apparently we can’t tell people,” Rex said bitterly. 

“You could tell your dad,” Anakin said, sipping his tea. “You’re well within your rights to inform your family.” 

“Is there some kind of werewolf code laws?” Cody exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air and pacing. 

“Kind of, yeah. I hear Plo getting close to the drive way. If you want to talk to him about this he knows more than we do.” At that Ahsoka trotted back up the staircase to her room. 

Below her she heard Rex ask where she was going. 

“Those clothes on the floor?” Anakin asked rhetorically. “Shifting doesn’t really allow for clothes to come along for the ride. We’re naked when we turn back.” 

“Christ,” and she could hear Rex’s head hitting the table. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rex realized it was damn near three o’clock and he was still sitting in Ahsoka’s kitchen. After having watched her turn into a massive wolf. She was sitting on the opposite side of the table with her brother as Plo was going over the process of Alpha switching. He was paying attention but he also couldn’t help but notice how miserable Ahsoka looked. Hell, she smelled miserable. Her sadness and guilt overrode everything else in the house and she wouldn’t look at him. 

“Rex,” Cody said. “We have to get going. Dad will notice if we’re not home soon.” 

“Right.” He’d decided not to tell his dad yet. He wanted to protect him from it at least until he had a better handle on it himself. Plo had honest to god given him a book about werewolf life that he’d been sworn to secrecy over. It was the only English language text on the realities of existing as a werewolf that existed. The binding on it was even a DIY job. “Ahsoka, could we talk? Privately?” Ahsoka at least nodded at that as Anakin and Plo made themselves scarce and Cody went to the Jeep. 

She stood and moved the glass door which had recently been fixed to the side, sitting on the wooden back porch. Rex closed the glass door behind him, not sure if it would keep Anakin or Plo from hearing. 

“I’m sorry,” she said immediately, hugging her knees to her chest and wiping at the tears coming from her eyes. She must been keeping herself together all afternoon. He sat beside her, shoulder to shoulder. “This is all my fault. I wasn’t fast enough and he bit you and now your life is completely different. If you don’t ever want to talk to me again I’ll understand.” 

“Hey,” he put an arm around her shoulder. Underneath the negative emotions she smelled well...amazing. “I don’t blame you. I am angry that this happened but not at you. You had no way of knowing what was going to happen that night and you tried to protect me. I want to be angry at everyone right now but not at you. I want to be angry that Cody isn’t in the same boat, that Anakin almost got himself killed, that werewolves exist and I didn’t know and that because of something that happened in a second my future is drastically different. But all I have for you is respect. You’re one of my best friends and a lot of things are different now. But not that.” Ahsoka leaned into him and it was the best feeling he’d had since 4:30 that morning. His head was still spinning with a million questions but knowing he still had her made everything a bit easier to accept. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obi-Wan thought he was doing a remarkable job of learning his best friend was a werewolf and keeping his shit together. It was Wednesday evening and he was at Anakin’s again, helping him catch up on classes. Really Anakin had been doing a good job on his own but he knew how easy it was to go stir crazy when you were healing. 

“So, themes in Frankenstein,” Anakin was saying as he tied his hair back. An action which did not make Obi-Wan want to run his hands through it. “We should definitely do monstrosity.” He grinned and Obi-Wan had to roll his eyes.

“The werewolf wants to write about monstrosity. You’re such a cliche.” 

“I am not!” Anakin feigned hurt. “But seriously. What if we did monstrosity and love? They’re both vague enough to provide different examples. I mean not just Victor’s love for his would-be bride but his friendships and family ties that nurture who he is as opposed to his monster who was denied all of that.” 

Obi-Wan was shocked. “Did you finish the entire book already?” 

Anakin shrugged. “I finished all my AP Calc and history work and got bored. Just because I’m better at math and science doesn’t mean I’m illiterate.” 

“Anakin, I know you’re smart. But that is a good idea. It would be a good way to work in the symbols as well. Like fire. Fire was used to symbolize a happy and safe hearth but used as weapon against the monster, symbolically attacking him with the things he couldn’t have.” He looked up to see Anakin grinning. 

“We make a good team. AP English, you holding my guts together...I’m glad we’re friends.” 

Obi-Wan felt his cheeks heat. “I’d rather not ever have to hold your insides together again if it’s all the same. Speaking of that night, Rex was quiet today. Did he take everything okay?”

“As well as anyone could. And he and Ahsoka are still friends so they’re both relieved about that. Mom is thinking of asking him to become pack the morning after the full moon. I think it would be good to do it as soon as possible, but he has to be okay with it, too.” 

“Mm. They were cozy at lunch today. So that’s how packs work? You take an oath, get bitten, and you’re in?” 

“Not always. That’s how you switch Packs. But you can also be born into one like we were. But it’s not just about a ceremony. Pack is...it’s like more than family almost. Being part of one means scent marking each other, running together on full moons or whenever else someone needs to work off some energy. Playing chasing games, taking meals together. A lot of times Packs will work together too. It can be useful to have members in law enforcement and medical professions to cover for emergencies. And being Pack means you’re linked to each other. Like if Ahsoka is sad or excited I can practically feel it, not just smell it like on other people. In big Packs everyone lives under one roof, helps raise the kids together and protect their territories from other things that go bump in the night.” 

“Wait, emotions have smells?” 

“Yup. I tune most people’s out. Otherwise I’d drive myself crazy. But that’s the other thing about Pack. Not a lot of privacy. Between the super hearing, the smells, the routinely getting naked to turn into wolves...we don’t have the same personal boundaries as humans.” 

A thought occurred to Obi-Wan. “Is that why you don’t date? Humans I mean. Would it be like sensory overload or something?” Anakin laughed a bit at that. 

“Not exactly. I mean if Axe Body Spray went out of business tomorrow I’d be happy, but dating humans sucks for other reasons. We take relationships extremely seriously and humans, well...they don’t. It’s actually called Courtship with us. Hell when I was with Padme it drove me kind of crazy knowing she couldn’t want me the way I could have wanted her. It made me possessive and jealous and I didn’t like who I was becoming. Our kind typically mate for life. When mom chose to marry a human a lot of the Pack resented her for it. Not just because he was a human. Packs do include humans, too. But he was a complete outsider. Turned out it was a terrible idea. But there aren’t exactly a lot of wolves around here to get to know. Larger Packs are more social so their members have more chances of finding mates.” 

Something in Obi-Wan hurt at the answer. He couldn’t deny that he was attracted to Anakin but knowing they could never even go to dinner, that he’d never wonder at the end of a date if the taller boy wanted to kiss him, it hurt more than it should have. Anakin continued. 

“Before all this I was thinking of spending the summer up north where mom still has some blood relatives. Not even to try and find a mate. Just to run with a proper Pack. There’s so much about what I am that I don’t know because it’s been the four of us for so long.” 

“I’m sorry, that must be hard. And frustrating. I don’t know as much as I should about being a mage, either. Magic used to come so easily to me. Mum was brilliant at it. When she died it felt like even if magic did exist, what was the point? It hadn’t saved her. Qui-Gon’s a good man but druids are secretive. They only teach one person in their lifetimes and they tend to hoard knowledge. You should see his secret library. Most of the books are in dead languages.” 

“Could he teach you?” Obi-Wan shook his head. 

“We have different kinds of magic. Even if I wanted to be his apprentice it wouldn’t work. Druid magic is based in trees, soil, and plants. Old secrets that the world keeps. They use long rituals instead of faster spellwork. Mages work directly with energies and intents, thought we can have elemental alignments as well.” 

“Could you show me some of your magic?” 

Obi-Wan was taken aback. “Right now?” 

“Sure. I mean you’ve seen me as a wolf. I didn’t get to appreciate your craft at the time.” 

Taking a deep breath Obi-Wan figured it was a fairly low risk proposition. He focused his intent and looked around for a focus object. He ripped a piece of paper from his notebook and drew a brief pattern of symbols on it. Then he balled it up into his fist. Opening his hand, he easily sent the paper up, hovering a couple feet above the bed. Then he focused on the symbols and watched them flow from inside the bunched up paper. With a flick of his wrist the paper caught fire and totally incinerated in mid air, ashes falling to the bed spread. 

Anakin looked impressed before he fell into a sneezing fit. “Sorry! Didn’t think about your sensitive nose.” 

“Don’t apologize! That was so cool!” Obi-Wan felt himself blushing again. 

“That wasn’t much really. Just a basic glyph spell.” 

“You can set things on fire. With your mind. You are officially my favorite person ever.” 

“You’re ridiculous. You have super senses and can turn into a wolf.” They were both laughing now. “Though I suppose it is fortunate we met. It’s nice to talk about magic without having to worry about someone either thinking I’m crazy or pitying me about my mom.” 

Anakin grinned and the new scar over his right eye gave him a seriously unfair attractiveness advantage. “It’s good to talk about being a wolf with someone I’m not related to.” Anakin yawned widely and Obi-Wan realized it was getting a bit late. 

“You’re starting back to school tomorrow so I should let you get some sleep.” He stood and started packing his books up. 

“Yeah, I’m patrolling with mom first though. Every night now we go out in pairs, see if that bastard’s scent is nearby.” The idea made Obi-Wan nervous. 

“You’ll be safe, right?”

“Of course. That guy was strong but there’s no way he could take me and my Alpha. Plus we have to figure out who he is. Someone running around killing and biting humans can’t be allowed. Since mom is the Alpha of this territory it’s her job to protect it and put this guy down. It sounds harsh but it’s how we do things.” 

“No, murdering and turning people against their will is serious. I understand the need to end that threat. I’ll talk to Qui-Gon about putting up some wards around your house and Rex’s. Maybe we can get a bit of protection until this is over.”

“Thank you,” Anakin said with a soft look in his eye. Then he was standing and hugging Obi-Wan. Not a quick, one armed friend hug but a solid, encompassing embrace. Obi-Wan didn’t have werewolf senses but he knew Anakin smelled good and he liked the feeling of his taller frame pressed against him. Anakin drove him home and they were mostly silent, but it was a good kind of quiet. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Padme had a lot going on. She was president of three clubs, she had an excellent GPA, a stack of early admissions essays that were nearly complete, two tutoring jobs, and a girl she very much liked flirting with. And she wasn’t a high achiever for nothing. Something was wrong with her friends. She had gotten to school early to study in the library for a bit but she couldn’t focus. Ever since Friday night a sense of unease had sat with her. She’d spoken with Anakin who was coming back to school today but Rex was different since that terrifying night. And so was Ahsoka. Normally she would have chalked it up to a high adrenaline situation forcing them to admit they liked each other but that wasn’t it. Or it at least that wasn’t all it was. Cody was quieter than usual too. They’d all skipped Tuesday and on Wednesday everyone had been sullen and distracted. Rex jumped at every noise and even though his shoulder was still bandaged, he was walking and moving as though it didn’t hurt him at all. He and Ahsoka sat incredibly close at lunch but it was the kind of closeness that accident survivors shared. Not romantic closeness. 

Thankfully she had Satine and Riyo. They’d been scared shitless that night like everyone else but they seemed to be processing it better. However the idea that a wild animal had gone to great lengths to invade a human home, was met by another wild animal, and then both of them fled was incredibly unlikely. Mrs. Skywalker had been dodgy, though also worried about her son. But Sheriff Fett had seemed suspicious of the story that Shmi and Plo gave as well. California didn’t have wolves much less gigantic ones like white one who’d broken the glass doors. And wolves didn’t have red eyes. Satine and Riyo agreed that it was all extremely strange. And why Anakin and Ahsoka would go downstairs even if it was for a weapon...they were both hot headed and impulsive but not suicidal. And Anakin had looked so devastated when he told Ahsoka he loved her. Like he knew he had to go even though it was a phenomenally stupid thing to do. She sighed as the first bell rang. Maybe she’d get some answers at lunch. 

As it turned out, she didn’t get anything at lunch. Well, she got a hug from Anakin who had an oddly healed scar over his eye. He and Obi-Wan seemed in decent spirits and Ahsoka had perked up a bit as well. Cody and Riyo were practically in each other’s laps and Satine was leaning against her side, reading her Anatomy and Physiology textbook. Rex still didn’t seem like himself but he was less on edge at least, Ahsoka pressed against his side. 

Riyo was proposing a girl’s night in that weekend. Honestly, Padme could use some cheesy movies and popcorn after last Friday, but unfortunately she couldn’t. “I have to go to some dinner with my parents,” she sighed. “One of their fundraiser things where I have to wear an uncomfortable dress and play nice with old rich people. Though I’d much rather binge something on Netflix with you three.” 

“What’s the fundraiser for this time?” Anakin asked, still chewing his sandwich. 

“Manners, Ani. But it’s for some politician. He’s new in town and fairly young. He wants to expand protected forest lands here and revitalize the old downtown district.” 

“Huh. Sounds like mom’s kind of thing.” 

“Oh yeah. She used to be an environmental rights lawyer, right?”

“Yep. Before she went into the exciting world of real estate.” 

Lunch was almost over and Padme knew they’d all split ways in a few minutes. Rex stood and stretched, his hand coming back down to rest on Ahsoka’s shoulder almost absentmindedly. Padme turned to ask Obi-Wan a question about their AP Chem exam schedule and noticed an odd looking book in his messenger bag. She couldn’t see the whole title on the spine but what she could see was the word ‘Praesid’ and a symbol that looked like a circle behind three interlinking tear drop shapes. The book looked incredibly old and she had a sudden urge to grab it and read everything in it. She shook her head, not knowing where the impulse came from. Praesid meant ‘protect’ in Latin. Or could if it was conjugated a certain way. For the rest of the day her mind kept flashing back to the word and symbol. 

Finally after classes let out, she ran to her car for meeting materials for the Rainbow Alliance. Across the parking lot she saw Ahsoka getting into Rex’s jeep. The looked to be following Anakin and Obi-Wan. It wasn’t odd in an of itself, but both Cody and Rex should have been at football practice. Well, at least Cody as Rex was recovering. The symbol flashed in her mind again. She should be following them, she thought. Then wondered what had gotten into her. They were all the most directly affected by the attack on Friday. Maybe they just needed some time together like a support group or something. Though her instincts told her she was only half right. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cody wasn’t sure what to think of the fact that A.) werewolves existed and B.) his brother now was one. And so were some of his closest friends. They’d only known for 24 hours and Rex had agreed to practice controlling his strength with Anakin and Ahsoka after school. Cody was going because well, watching werewolves train was certainly more interesting than football. He was sitting on the back porch which less than a week ago had a been a scene from a horror movie. Obi-Wan was beside him, apparently having seen Anakin transform that night. He had a feeling they were like a club now. And he assumed the first rule of Werewolf Club was pretty obvious. 

Anakin and Ahsoka were in the yard with Rex. Anakin had removed his shirt and Ahsoka was wearing a sports bra and leggings. Apparently this would be full contact. Though as they got started, it looked much less like Fight Club and more like...a combination of wrestling and cuddle club? Rex currently had his arms around Ahsoka’s shoulders with her back pressed to him and Anakin was trying to tackle both of them to the ground at once. Some of the hits they took looked hard but nothing phased them. They also ran, Ahsoka giving instructions on how to slow down so humans wouldn’t notice their speed. Anakin suggested throwing an old soccer ball around to work on controlling strength. But throughout everything they were constantly in physical contact with each other. It was a bit odd.

“It’s mostly scenting,” Obi-Wan said, looking up from his book. “It’s important for Pack to smell like each other. It’s a bonding thing.” 

“Anakin tell you that?” 

“Yeah. It’s why he and Ahsoka are always play fighting at school.” 

“So you saw Anakin, right? When he was all...grr?” Cody made a show of holding his hands out like claws and Obi-Wan laughed. 

“I did. I was terrified at first. But as soon as I realized it was him I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. Plus he was bleeding out.” 

“But how did you know it was him?” 

“Ahsoka was kneeling in front of him saying his name. And I’d heard of werewolves before. Never saw one to my knowledge but my mum believed they existed. When I put together the red eyes, how big they were, the circumstances of the attack, it wasn’t too hard to come to the right conclusion.” 

“But isn’t it hard to get used to? I mean I love Rex. And Ahsoka and Anakin and I’ll do whatever I can for them. But as a human wasn’t it hard to realize your friend in this new town is...supernatural?” 

Obi-Wan smiled and showed Cody the title of his book. 

“Praesido Forum Arcana,” Cody murmured. “Meaning what exactly?” 

“Secrets of Magical Protections. This was my mum’s book. I’m not a werewolf but my mum practiced magic. Not wand waving Harry Potter magic but real magic. I used to do it with her all the time. When she died...well I stopped. But if I can help protect Anakin, Ahsoka, or Rex I want to. And there are a lot of ways to protect people with magic.” 

Cody ran a hand through his short hair. “Christ. Werewolves and magicians. Hell of a Senior Year. I thought football and getting the stones to ask Riyo out would be my biggest issues.” 

Obi-Wan laughed, his gray eyes crinkling. “She’d say yes. That’s not a magic thing, that’s an observation thing.” 

Cody flushed. “She’s...she’s so great. I mean she’s smart and kind but she’s also driven by this sense of what’s right. I really respect that about her. She wants to be a lawyer and she’d be one of the best.” 

“Honestly, you should ask her. You’re clearly both mad about each other.” 

“Pot, kettle, black.” Cody said, happy to see Obi-Wan blush. 

“There are...factors that prevent that. Besides, they can hear every word we say.” 

And true enough, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Rex turned to look at them. “A bit of privacy for those us without super hearing!” Cody yelled, a smile on his face. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Friday night, a week after the attack and a week before the next full moon, Anakin was waiting for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to show up to their house. They’d found some protection spells and wards to cast to keep unwanted weres away. Tonight they’d put the wards up around Anakin and Ahsoka’s home, and tomorrow around Rex and Cody’s. 

“Your boyfriend will be here soon,” Ahsoka said, rolling her eyes. 

“He’s not-You know he can’t be. He’s my friend.” And if he smelled better than anyone Anakin had ever met it was no one else’s business. 

“Sorry,” Ahsoka ducked her head, only a little ashamed.

“We should all be honored that a druid AND a mage want to help us,” Shmi spoke up from the kitchen counter. “In the old days magic users would sometimes become part of a Pack. They’d make it stronger.” 

“Really?” Anakin asked. “I thought only non-wolf babies were permitted to be Pack outside of weres.” 

“No. Some packs ran that way but not all. Many adopted humans and other beings as Pack, understanding that diversity made them stronger. One of the most powerful Packs in history had two mages and a seer as members.” 

“I never knew…” Anakin said a bit sadly. 

“There’s much I haven’t taught you that I should have,” his mother said, guilt radiating off of her. “But Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon saved you. It’s time for me to be a real Alpha again. We’re going to need more than the four of us. Not just for this threat but to really live. I’m sorry. You both tried to tell me that and I wouldn’t listen. I’m going to be better for all of us.” 

Plo had been silent but soon all four of them were hugging and Anakin’s heart soared at the notion of being a real Pack. Not just being wolves who donned human skin and lived together. 

When Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon arrived Anakin hugged them both, not caring that they seemed a bit surprised by it. He knew that if they were building their Pack for real then these two would be part of it. 

The actual warding didn’t take too long. Well, Obi-Wan’s part didn’t. Qui-Gon was wondering the woods for quite a while, laying magic down where roots and ley lines intersected. Obi-Wan had paced the perimeter of the house, laying a thin ring of crushed herbs. Apparently it was mostly mountain ash. Both men were tired by the time it was all done. 

“Anyone you invite in can still enter,” Qui-Gon warned. “But between the two of us, any supernatural entity who doesn’t belong here won’t be able to physically enter the home. Ideally the property at all starting with the edge of the woods.” 

“We owe you a great debt,” Shmi said seriously. 

Qui-Gon only smiled kindly, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. “Our kind have worked together for centuries. We are happy to be of assistance.” 

Shmi and Qui-Gon talked at length over wine with Anakin and Obi-Wan listening. Wolves couldn’t get drunk but Anakin’s mom seemed damn near giddy anyway. It was a fact Anakin was trying to ignore. So he and Obi-Wan eventually went upstairs to ostensibly work on their AP English project. 

“I think Qui-Gon likes your mom,” Obi-Wan said warily. 

“I know. I don’t even want to think about it. Though I can’t believe I just realized your stepdad is a veterinarian. A vet saved my life. There’s a terrible kind of irony there.” 

Obi-Wan smiled at that. “Only fitting that a veterinarian helped you. He really has always had a way with dogs.” And Anakin tackled Obi-Wan so fast that both boys ended up laughing in near hysterics on his bed. Anakin pressed his nose into Obi-Wan’s neck and inhaled deeply. It took him a minute to smell the arousal tinged with embarrassment that told him to back off. 

“Sorry,” he muttered. “Wolf thing.” But he couldn’t bring himself to move his nose away from his friend’s neck or to release his hands which were pinning him to the bed. The smell of sandalwood, citrus, and the first hints of arousal were too good. And then-oh. Obi-Wan’s hands were in his hair, fingers light on his scalp. 

“Anakin.” It was a complete sentence and one the werewolf very much liked. “Anakin, I have to get up.” He liked that one less. But he rose to his knees, feeling his eyes flashed gold as he did so. 

“Wolf thing?” Obi-Wan flushed, pushing his hair back and Anakin fought down the urge to kiss him. 

“Pack. I mean I think of you as-I’m sorry. I should have asked. Not supposed to just go around scenting humans.” He ducked his head. 

“It’s alright. I just um...I should go. I probably need to be the one to drive us home since Qui-Gon was on his third glass of wine.” And then Obi-Wan was gone with astonishing speed. Less than fifteen minutes later Anakin heard their car leaving the driveway. He pressed his face into his pillow and fought the urge to scream. Against all odds he had a human friend who like him despite knowing what he was and how did he react? By practically peeing on his leg. Humans and wolves didn’t mix like that. He thought he’d well and truly internalized that lesson. God dammit. There really needed to be a Tindr for werewolves.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rex was spending his Saturday running errands as Cody was with Riyo and dad was, as usual, at work. Obi-Wan was going to come by later apparently work some kind of magic. Actual magic. To try and keep the wolf that had bitten him away from his home. He shook his head as he entered the grocery store. His life had gotten very strange in a small timeframe. 

The only thing that it made it easier to deal with was Ahsoka. She kept him calm when everything felt too loud or smelled to strongly. Even if it was just a text during class it helped him focus. When he’d gone to her place and rough housed with her and Anakin he’d honestly had a blast. He hadn’t realized how much stronger he’d gotten but the siblings were just as strong. His coach and dad wouldn’t be happy when he quit football next week but yesterday afternoon had shown him why it was necessary. It was one thing if he threw Anakin across a yard. It was another if he threw a teammate whose bones would break. Besides, he didn’t exactly mind spending his time with with the petite girl instead of with a bunch of other sweaty dudes. She smelled...right. Sweet but in a natural way with a hint of spice. When she’d turned into a wolf he’d been shocked but not afraid. Well, not too afraid, all things considered. Thinking back on it her wolf form was well, it was beautiful and he had wanted to feel her fur. Though he’d been mortified after, thinking he had essentially tried to treat her like a pet. 

The book he’d been loaned was helpful for some things but he had questions. And he’d be lying if he wasn’t still harboring anger. If he could snap his fingers and go back to being a normal high schooler who didn’t have to worry about a stranger coercing him through some weird pack bond he would. The idea of still being able to consider the military or going away for college without some weird ass second supernatural puberty to deal with was a nice one.

He tossed a box of cereal into the cart harder than necessary and jumped as he was pulled from his thoughts by another cart crashing into his. Rex looked up sharply to see an older man with a thick gray beard who was wearing an expensive looking long-sleeved button down. “Please pardon me,” his distinguished sounding voice uttered. “I was rather distracted.” 

Rex was about to reply but something made him stop. Underneath the man’s light cologne was the scent of something not human. It was like fur and blood, hot breath carrying the odor of a kill. Coppery and too sweet like a carcass left to rot.

Wolf. Fear seized Rex as he saw the pleased recognition in the man’s eyes. He fought the urge to bear his neck even as panic rose in his chest. This was him. The Alpha who’d attacked him while trying to kill Ahsoka and who had nearly killed Anakin. He was paralyzed under the dark eyes. “It’s nice to see that you’re not completely witless,” the man said. “The last thing I wanted was some pup following me around. But you may be of use yet. ‘Rex’, isn’t it? One of the Sheriff’s sons. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other.” And the man strode off, abandoning his empty cart. Holy shit. He’d been followed by the psychopath. It took him several minutes to get his breathing back under control. With shaky hands he texted Ahsoka. ‘think i just ran into the alpha. he followed me. knew my name.’

In hardly anytime at all he had a reply. ‘holy shit! r u ok? where r u?’ 

Instead of texting he called back. “Rex?!” 

“I’m okay. I’m at the grocery store. He left after some not so subtle threats.” 

“Do you need to come over? Do you think he’s still hanging around? We can come and meet you.”

“No, I think he really left.” He ran a hand over his scalp. “Yeah, if you don’t mind I could drop by.” He was shaken and needed someone who would understand why. The drive out to Ahsoka’s house gave him time to collect his thoughts at least. He didn’t recognize the Alpha but he knew his scent now. Plo had said his abilities would be more stable after his first full moon which would be in a week. So maybe he’d be able to pick it up and not get stalked unknowingly. 

He felt relief pulling into Ahsoka’s driveway. She, Anakin, and Obi-Wan were already waiting outside the front door and as soon as he’d closed the driver’s side door he had two arms full of Ahsoka. He hugged her tightly, glad beyond reason to be near her after encountering a murderer. He hugged Anakin and Obi-Wan briefly and soon was describing the Alpha while sitting on the living room couch. 

“I hate to say it, but maybe you should join our Pack sooner?” Anakin posited. “I mean he made a point of letting you know that he knows where to find your family. If he can’t leverage you it might make them safer.” 

“What if he gets pissed and goes after them instead?” Rex countered. 

Ahsoka was sitting next to him and put a hand on his arm. “We don’t know much about how he operates but he’d be weaker if he lost a Pack member. Between us and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, getting out from under his thumb as soon as possible is probably for the best.” 

Rex sighed. She had a point. “How soon could I do it, if I wanted to?” 

“We’ve been reading up and it can only be done on two phases of the moon. Waxing gibbous and the full moon. The full moon is in a week but the first night of the waxing gibbous will be Wednesday night. It could also make your first shift easier to be around Pack.” 

He’d been so preoccupied with immediate strangeness of being a werewolf that he hadn’t thought much about making a full transformation. “Will-I mean does it hurt to change like that?” 

“The first time for turned humans is supposed to be painful,” Anakin said. “After that it’s supposed to get easier pretty fast. But the older a person is when they’re turned the more difficult the first few transformations are.” 

“You’ll have us, though,” Ahsoka added. “We’ll do everything we can to help you through it.” 

“Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon will be here, too” Anakin said. “They’re going to make sure the house is safe while we run. If that asshole shows up he’ll be against five wolves and two magic users. Obi-Wan can set things on fire with his mind.” The last part was said with a fair amount of pride in his voice.

Obi-Wan turned an interesting shade of red. “That is not how that spell worked, Anakin. But we will be here to help.” Huh. Had Obi-Wan and Anakin always smelled so...anxious around each other?

“Wait, you can do that?” 

“No, I can’t. I can use glyphs to set things on fire though. But Qui-Gon and I will feel it if someone comes up against the barriers we laid here. We’ll yell for help if that happens and we’ll have a few ways to detain an Alpha until Shmi and everyone else can get here.” 

“Wednesday, huh?” He asked rhetorically. Ahsoka’s hand was still on his arm and she squeezed it slightly. 

“Only if you’re okay with it,” she said softly. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obi-Wan was in trouble. Sitting on Anakin’s couch with Rex and Ahsoka after being told Rex had a run in with mystery Alpha and all he could think about was how Anakin had tackled him to the bed the night before and nuzzled into his neck. It had been one of the best things Obi-Wan had ever physically experienced. Then it became one of the worst when he remembered that Anakin didn’t date humans. It was ridiculous. He’d known it couldn’t happen but he still allowed himself to hope. One day Anakin would meet another wolf and mate for life. Obi-Wan wasn’t sure exactly what wolves offered each other but he was fairly certain that he could never offer a were the kind of the kind of security they needed, much less a were as unique as Anakin.

Oh, and the guy could smell his feelings. It was just short of being psychic. He was well and truly screwed. He tried to control his emotions like his mum had taught him ages ago but he’d never thought of having to hide...whatever it was he felt for Anakin. It sounded like Rex was going to switch packs sooner rather than later though so that was good news. Whoever this Alpha was who’d bitten him sounded creepier every day. Obi-Wan fought a yawn. He’d used more magic last night than he had in a long time and he’d need a nap and a good meal before he could ward Rex’s home with Qui-Gon. 

Anakin turned to him. “You tired?” 

“Long night. And I need to sleep to replenish magical stores for tonight. I should probably head home and get a few hours and some food.” 

“Stay here. You can sleep in my bed, I’ll make dinner and we can all go to Rex’s together.” How was he supposed to say no to blue eyes like that? And it made logical sense as opposed to wasting time and gas driving all over town. 

“Yeah, alright, I’ll let Qui-Gon know.” And he headed upstairs, sure that everyone could smell his reluctance and tinge of sadness. It was just a bed, he told himself. It was convenient and it didn’t mean anything. Ugh. Maybe after all this was over he’d make an effort to start dating. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Padme was bored out of her mind. Sometimes these dinners her parents dragged her to were interesting, but this one was anything but. The young politician who the function was for was charismatic, but hardly a man of the people. It made her wonder what he was doing in this small town. He’d moved here less than two years ago and a man of his means could easily have climbed the ranks in a city. Maul was his last name. Erebus Maul, though he seemed to go by his surname. He also had a partner who was new to town as well. And older man named Dooku. 

Dooku may not have been the star of the show but Padme recognized a string puller when she saw one. The way Maul looked to him frequently for approval was odd. She lamented having to be here for the tenth time. She’d much rather be with Satine and Riyo. Or just Satine. The thought of the blonde girl made her smile. 

“Enjoying yourself, my dear?” Came a low voice from behind her and Padme prided herself on not visibly startling. It was Dooku. 

“It’s quite a nice event,” she said neutrally. 

“Yes, though not so entertaining for someone of your age, I imagine.” 

“Actually local politics are an interest of mine. I’m hoping to major in political science before law school.” 

“It’s nice to see young people with real ambitions. I’m sure your friends share your aspirations.” Padme was throw by that. 

“Pardon?” 

“It’s a small town. I’ve heard through the grapevine that you’re friends with the Skywalker family and Sheriff Fett’s sons. All high achieving students, I’ve heard.” If Padme had physical hackles they’d be up. Something was very wrong with this man and how he was directing the conversation. She kept a neutral expression though, despite instincts telling her to punch him in the throat and run. Which was also odd as she wasn’t a violent person. 

“Yes, we’re friends.” She wanted to scream, set some kind of alarm off to let everyone else know this man shouldn’t be trusted. 

“Terrible news about the wild animal attack on the Skywalker home. I was very glad to hear that everyone was alright. I’m hoping my protege can work with local law enforcement to investigate such unusual incidents.” Why was he telling her this? It was all wrong. She could practically feel malice flowing off him despite his put together demeanor. 

“If you’ll excuse me, I think my father is asking me to come over,” she said, keeping as in control of her own demeanor as possible. 

“Of course, of course. I hope to see a bright young person like yourself again.” She smiled tightly and was off, joining her parents across the room. She could feel Dooku’s eyes on her the whole time and no matter where he was the rest of the night, she was aware of him, like a dark spot in a room that was perfectly well lit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally didn't mean the furry joke as a dig. Just thought it was something Anakin would say. Consensual kink is always cool by me. Anyway, thank you for reading and all feedback, especially constructive criticism, is welcome.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always welcomed. Especially constructive criticism. 
> 
> Also you can find me on tumblr at https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sjwerewolfinc


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